Brian Concannon, The Miami Herald July 17, 2018 Saturday’s resignation of Haiti’s Prime Minister Jack Guy Lafontant, along with the suspension of controversial fuel price rises, will bring temporary respite from the latest social unrest in the country. But they will not resolve the problem underlying the protests — the Haitian people’s inability to demand better governance and basic services from its leaders. In a 1962 speech to the Organization of American States, President Kennedy urged the United States and “those who possess wealth and power” in the hemisphere’s less wealthy nations to enact reforms to allow the people of the Americas “to hope for a suitable standard of living.” Kennedy famously warned that. “Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.” We did not need last week’s images of angry protests and burning cars to know that, […]

IJDH’s relentless advocacy for cholera justice led the United States Congress to include $10 million to fund cholera elimination in the Fiscal Year 2018 appropriations bill despite President Trump’s opposition. Teaming up with Haitian diaspora organizations and members of Congress, IJDH was able to secure this money for the United Nations New Approach to cholera in Haiti.This is not a complete victory for cholera justice, but it is a step forward that will save lives. We now call on the UN to immediately keep its promise to consult with the victims of cholera to determine how best to invest the funds. BAI and IJDH Lead Denunciation of Human Rights Violators in Army High Command BAI and IJDH responded to the naming of army officers implicated in the 1994 Raboteau Massacre to the High Command of the newly reconstituted Haitian army […]

Secretary John Kelly declined to commit to extending the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to more than 50,000 Haitians living in the U.S. during his short visit to Haiti on Wednesday. During his visit, Kelly met with the Haitian President Jovenel Moïse, senior government officials, Head of the U.N. Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) Sandra Honoré and MINUSTAH Military Commander Brazilian Lt. Gen. Ajax Porto Pinheiro. Kelly’s visit came after his agency decided to only extend TPS for six months for Haitian nationals instead of the usual 18 months. This decision left Haitian TPS-holders wondering what is next for them after Jan. 2018. U.S. lawmakers, Haitians and immigration advocates, who wanted the status to be extended for 18 months, were disappointed by this decision. Call your representatives and senators to urge them to support TPS extension for Haitians. For more information on TPS extension, please visit our website. Read HERE the full article. […]

Many families in Haiti are struggling to get by and meet their basic needs, amidst a rising food shortage months after Hurricane Matthew wreaked havoc in the southern part of the country. Experts warn that the situation could be approaching a famine, and it will continue to deteriorate in the coming months if production does not increase this growing season. Authorities have not done enough to alleviate the crisis; the availability of shelter and food is still far below the demand. And, while initial humanitarian responses did help with providing food and water, the efforts did not focus enough on rebuilding agricultural capacity and helping Haitians regain their livelihoods. Now, months after the storm, many worry that Hurricane Matthew’s destruction will continue to be felt for a long time to come. Part of the article is shown below. Click HERE for the original article. […]